While his star turns in Terms of Endearment and The Squid and the Whale suggested a softer side, we had no idea that the still waters of Jeff Daniels ran quite so deep. Turns out the actor has been compiling a cache of folk songs over the past 30 years, and will be showcasing them at Wolftrap tonight.

While it’d be fun to rake Dumb (or was he Dumber?) over the coals for doing the actor-turned-musician thing, he seems to be among the few “multi-talented” celebrities who are not self-indulgent megalomaniacs. Daniels even has a self-deprecating song called “If William Shatner Can, I Can Too.”

Tickets are still on sale for the evening with Mr. Daniels. What better way to stay warm than a couple of hours listening to a Midwestern croon and bluesy guitar-picking? Since Daniels treats song-writing as his “diary,” ditties like “If I weren’t so stupid, you wouldn’t be so smart” (about his marriage) and “The Dirty Harry Blues” (about working with Clint Eastwood on Bloodwork) are sure to shed some light on the actor’s personal life.

Jeff Daniels at Wolftrap. February 2, 2007/ 8 p.m.
$25